Aside from all the millions of things you have to think about to organise a good conference and once you have chosen the right photographer, here are a few little tips to make their job a bit easier and ensure you get some awesome imagery:

1. Don’t bother using an app for asking questions. Firstly, they can fail and from experience often do. Also, they can distract the session chair and it doesn’t look good in photos when the speaker is talking and the chair is just looking at their phone. An app also limits audience interaction, so the photographer would not get those cool shots of people holding mics asking questions directly.

2. Make sure projectors aren’t shining on people during panel discussions. Often the tops of people’s heads can be skimmed with the light of the projector. This is almost impossible for a photographer to remedy and looks pretty terrible. Either aim your projector higher or project from behind. If you can't do either of those then prepare a slide with the conference logo in the top half and have the lower half blank. Ask AV to display this slide during panel talks if the above issue arises.

3. Create custom branded items such as toys, goodie bags, gifts, programs. These can make for really cool, quirky shots that do well on social media.

4. Have lots of branding in the form of signs, banners, projections. The bigger the better. Hung just above head height is best. Also, it’s best to give these a matt finish to prevent unwanted reflections.

5. Make stage lights bright. It’s surprising how many venues don’t light their speakers well. The lights should illuminate the speaker/speakers/panel well, but not be so harsh that they squint. This improves photos greatly and if I can shoot without the need for flash it’s even better.

6. Make sure that there aren’t overly distracting items on the podium when people are speaking, eg mics in the way, laptops, water bottles, etc.

7. Seat as much of the audience near the front of the auditorium. If they are too spread out then the venue may look less full in the photos. You may need to rope off areas at the back to encourage delegates towards the front.

8. Give your photographer a good shotlist and itinerary. Best as a printout, as checking apps can be annoying when you are already juggling a couple of cameras.

9. Elevate static videographers on a platform. This will ensure the photographer does not obstruct their line of sight.

10. Feed the crew well! This is something that usually happens anyway at conferences, thankfully. But it can be very tiring shooting a conference and so it’s important to keep the crew energised.

In summary, we live in a visual age, when billions of photos are uploaded to the web every day. Images are vital selling tools and ensuring you have bold, slick photos will help your conference stand out and look its best. I hope these insights of a conference photographer were helpful to you and they help you create even better photos at your events.

Marketforce never fail to deliver a great conference and this years Future of Utilities was no exception. Etc venues St Pauls is a great London conference venue and I always look forward to the bento box lunch (thanks EY)! Here's some of the conference highlights:

Located on Regent Street, The Langham is classical, luxurious and stylish.

8. A Thames Cruise

A really great way to see the sights of London from a unique perspective. Sit down and enjoy dinner, drink and dance whilst some of the worlds most iconic landmarks pass beside you. I loved shooting on the Elizabethan, a beautiful old style paddle steamer.

9. The Natural History Museum

An iconic location. Party with the dinosaurs!

10. Old Billingsgate Market

A large, sophisticated market conversion. The riverside terrace has great views of the Shard.

11. Sky Bar

The Sky Bars modern and stylish interior sits right on top of the Millbank Tower, offering incredible views over the city.

Everyone knows the iconic landmark, but did you know they host events in the high level walkways? They also have a section of glass floor, so if you are brave enough you can stand on it and wave to the boat passengers passing below!

Looking across from one walkway to the other

The view from Tower Bridge

6. The Painted Hall Greenwich

The Painted Hall is part of The Old Royal Naval College, in Greenwich. It is absolutely astounding. Often referred to as "The Sistine Chapel of the UK" words cannot do it justice.

I often find myself really appreciating interesting talks and debates. I have very broad interests and have enjoyed learning about science, tech, marketing, medicine, and politics as well as motivational talks by specialist speakers. We are living in exciting times, scienctific, technological social and political revolution abound, bringing forth a brand new world. Photographing conferences allows me to bear witness to these developments from the inside, which sometimes feels pretty special.

Amazing displays at The Hunterian Museum

A fascinating historical tour of Manchester Town Hall

2. I love meeting interesting people

Conferences are a great place to meet people who are passionately engaged in their subject. There's always a good buzz. Occasionally a special speaker or VIP guest also shows up.

I have ended up in some great venues over the years in London and all over the UK. Some of the best places my conference photography has taken me include: The houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge, The Hunterian Museum, The Crystal, The London Eye, The Churchill War Rooms, The Natural History Museum, The Painted Hall Greenwich, The Royal Pavillion Brighton, Manchester Town Hall, The Emirates Stadium. Attending conferences means I get to go to places I would not have done otherwise, often I might not even know they exist.

Manchester Town Hall

The events space at the top of Tower Bridge

The Hunterian Museum

The V&A

4. I get to participate in fun activities and see great shows

I get to meet some great entertainers, including magicians, musicians and theatrical displays and I always enjoy their shows.

5. I enjoy the shooting style

Each photographer has their own preferred style. Personally I enjoy documentary and location portraiture. Conference photography offers me this opportunity. I even end up shooting a bit of product, interiors, architecture, food, action at conferences.

6. I like the variety

Each conference is different and I never get bored. I am constantly encountering new people, places and subject matter.

Several times over the past year I have run into the same magician at different events. He is very friendly and very talented. He leaves everyone aghast with his mind boggling tricks. His name is Kevin and he runs his own entertainment company called Blank Canvas.

Blank Canvas are awesome. They have an amazing array of the finest entertainers in the UK, including magicians, dancer, musicians, circus skills, caricaturists, and many more. Chancers are if you've been to any events recently you've encountered someone on Blank Canvases books.

The mesmerising "Calvos"

Calvos

The hilarious "Singing Waiters"

Singing Waiters

Singing Waiters

Singing Waiters

So if you are looking for entertainment at your event check out Blank Canvas, they are awesome!

Modern conference venue in the heart of The City. Great city views from the atrium.

17. The Churchill War Rooms

This is a bit of a quirky venue for a conference, but there aren’t many places as historically significant as Winston Churchills wartime bunker, where the fate of World War 2 was drawn up. A fascinating place.

Copyright Dan Burman Photography. Dan Burman is a professional London photographer with over a decade of experience as a portrait photographer and corporate headshot photographer, rated 5 stars on google